Registration Open for Kerry Rose Foundation 5K

The Kerry Rose Foundation, which was created to honor a Commack graduate who was killed in a fire, will hold a 5K-trail run in November to raise awareness of safety and sprinkler systems in college-operated housing. 

The run will take place Nov. 30 at Hoyt Farm Nature Preserve in Commack.

“We have more than 21 million college students in the United States, and unfortunately many of them are living in substandard housing with inadequate fire safety protections. Our goal is to bring awareness to parents and students about some of the dangers in on and off-campus housing before they go away to college. We hope to turn this fun run into an annual event and spread the word about fire safety,” Robert Fitzsimons, Kerry Rose’s father, said in a press release.

The race begins at 11 a.m. with Broadway star Rachel deBenedet singing the national anthem. The race will be timed by Long Island Road Runners. The event will include music, t-shirts, prizes and psychic readings by Nancy D’Erasmo. 

Pre-registration for the road race is $20 and discounts are available for teams of ten or more. Day of race registration is $25.

New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo signed the Kerry Rose Fire Sprinkler Notification Act in July, which requires colleges to give students written information about the fire safety standards in both dorms and off-campus housing operated by the college. New York is home to more than 1.2 million college students.

Check in for the event starts at 9:30 a.m. To register for the race online, visit Active.Com. For more information about the 5K and the foundation, visit KerryRoseFoundation.Org.